How to find Relaxiton During the Holidays

Hello everyone!
The holidays are in full swing. There seems to be parties, events, and longer working hours all around us. How do you find the time for yourself? Whether you are working longer hours at work, or still a student facing finals and family events, or just stressed out in general about all the presents and things you must get done before Christmas, I have a few tips on how you relax and rejuvenate yourself during this wonderful, yet very stressful time of year.

1. Plan your day out well. A well planned day that has all your activities, meetings, and projects laid out can help you focus on the task at hand. For myself, I get really stressed out when I know what I have to do, but don’t know where to start.

2. Do the most easiest things first. I know that this sounds contradictory, as when I was in college, I was told to do the hardest thing first thing in the morning. However, if you need to get that spark of productivity, then do everything that takes 10 minutes or less. So to kick off your day start by planning your day, doing your emails, make your bed, clean your space, work out, etc. Once you have done all of these things, you will be in full productive mood and ready to take on the more challenging things.

3. Plan mindfully. I know it is so tempting to say yes to everything, especially during the holidays to help or assist others, but that is one recipe for holiday burnout. Know your limits, and don’t be afraid to state that you already have more on your hands than you can handle.

4. Make the focus on family. This is the time of year to truly celebrate and enjoy your family. This actually makes planning much easier, because your focus is spending quality time with your loved ones. If something doesn’t involve your family, then it should be left out during this time. Try to plan your work around this time of year. Do everything you can before the holidays so you can be more free in November and December, that way you don’t have your work, family, and other stressful engagements on top of each other.

5. Have an hour to yourself. Yes, there are family all around you, but you still need to have an hour to yourself. This will help your be refreshed and reenergized. Try to have this hour in the morning when everyone else is still asleep. If you can’t do this in the morning because you don’t have time, or have plans throughout the day, make sure you excuse yourself for some quiet time. I have another website called “The Tea Hour” that gives you many tips on how to take an hour for tea and rejuvenation.